1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of vacuum cleaners.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a dust collecting apparatus, which separates and collects dust from dust-laden air, comprises a dust separator for removing dust from the dust-laden air and a dust receptacle for collecting the removed dust.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-180569 and Korean Patent Laid-open No. 2003-0038415, such a dust collecting apparatus is detachably mounted to a main body of the vacuum cleaner so that the dust receptacle can be emptied after collecting the dust therein. Therefore, a user first has to remove the dust collecting apparatus from the vacuum cleaner and then detach the dust separator from the dust receptacle to empty the dust receptacle.
However, the inventors have determined that this conventional two-step separation system, involving removing the dust collecting apparatus from the vacuum cleaner and then separating the dust separator from the dust receptacle, may be troublesome for the user. Furthermore, since the user has to apply a certain force to separate the dust separator from the dust receptacle, the dust may be shaken out by the force applied during the separation and contaminate the user's hand or other areas.